On Fri, 2 Sep 2005, Stephen B. Saunders wrote:
> Quoting Andy Bradford <amb-1064524778 at bradfords.org>:
>> But, I ask, what is socialism anyway?
> Totalitarianism or total government is on the opposite side of the scale from
> Anarchy. A constitutional republic or limited government is the closest thing
> to anarchy and the farthest thing from Socialism, Fascism, Communism, etc.
Au contraire ... a constitutional republic is perfectly compatible with
Socialism. Communism is diametrically opposed to capitalism, not
democracy.
And yes, the US is getting more and more socialist as time progresses.
Others have given you several examples--a good place to look is the level
of taxation. After adding up state income tax, federal income tax, all
sales and use taxes, automobile fees and taxes, etc., average Americans
probably pay between 30-40% of their income to the government. More
socialist countries have a much higher rate, sometimes above 60-70%. But
Americans historically paid far less than 30-40%.
If you're interested in socialist influences in the United States, a good
thing to read about is the history of the 16th Amendment. (Also a good
example of the effect third parties can have, even if they don't land
anyone in the Oval Office.)
~ Ross